I said to az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه): “Why don`t I hear you narrating from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as I hear Ibn Mas`ood and so and so, and so and so?” He said: “I never left him since I became Muslim, but I heard something from him: `Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.””
The Musnad of az-Zubair bin al-'Awwam - Musnad Ahmad 1413
This narration from the esteemed Companion az-Zubair ibn al-'Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) reveals profound wisdom regarding the preservation of Prophetic traditions. The questioner expresses curiosity about why az-Zubair narrates fewer hadith than other Companions like Ibn Mas'ood, despite his close companionship with the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Scholarly Commentary
Az-Zubair's response demonstrates the extreme caution the Companions exercised in narrating from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). His statement "I never left him since I became Muslim" indicates his continuous presence with the Prophet, yet his selective narration reflects the gravity of transmitting the Prophet's words.
The specific hadith he chose to narrate—"Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell"—serves as a foundational principle in Islamic scholarship. This warning establishes the severe consequence of attributing falsehood to the Prophet (ﷺ), thereby ensuring the purity and authenticity of the Sunnah.
Legal and Ethical Implications
This narration underscores the methodology of the Companions in preserving the Prophetic tradition. Their meticulous approach prevented the infiltration of fabricated reports into the body of Islamic knowledge. The scholars of hadith developed rigorous sciences of authentication based upon this very principle.
Az-Zubair's restraint in narration, despite his extensive exposure to the Prophet, teaches us that quality and authenticity take precedence over quantity in religious transmission. This principle continues to guide Islamic scholarship to this day.